Replace, redirect, then reform
I propose a back to basics approach, focusing on the three Rs. Replace the mayor and his administration. Redirect our city away from Corporate Give-a-ways and toward Market Based solutions that will unleash the creativity of Pittsburgher. Reform the one party mentality that has held Pittsburgh back for several decades. Replace, Redirect, and then Reform Replace the mayor and some other key elected leaders in the city by voting them out and others into public office. :People need reasons to vote for new people because the one's on the job now are not being trusted to work with new incomes by those on the oversight boards and in the state legislature. Redirect the city's policies and programs from lots of corporate welfare deals and other boondogles to better management and tax cuts for citizens of the city. :The redirection will net new energy for the city's residents, workers and economy. Then reform the structure of the city's charter, the city's cooperative agreements with the county, and move on other more massive challenges. Massive reforms and bailouts without a replacement of the cronies is going to lead to the same results. Replace the Mayor and the Mayor's administration. : : We have asked Mayor Tom Murphy to resign. Didn't happen. We've chanted, made t-shirts and signs that say, "Fire Mayor Murphy." We need to fire him with votes. In America, we have the ability to replace the machine politicians at the voting booths. : Along with Tom Murphy goes a batch of others who are leading this city to misery. The mayor has a lot of power to appoint his cronies in key positions. Or, the mayor hires certain key leaders in various departments to carry out his vision. The administration needs to face a major shake-up and many need to move into the private sector. The mayor also has a big role in the appointment of various board members to various authorities. Sala Udin is on the URA Board, and that is a bad thing. When Alan Hertzberg was on the URA Board and made some waves to sell off some of the URA's assets and properties it had gobbled up in the past years, he was ejected from the board. The mayor pushed him aside. That's the mayor's mode of operation and within his realm of running his city into a distressed status with glee. The city's shade tree commission and all the others with mayor appointees, from RAD Board to Human Relations Commission (biased against its own members) are part of the shake-up. :Some of the biggest sources of trouble have already fled the city. Dr. Biru left the URA for Detroit. Stephen Leeper of the Stadium Authority left for Cinci. Their departures made welcomed news. Mayor appointments Redirect * The redirection is away from corporate welfare and to the fundamentals of the essence of municipal government's role. City council plays a big role in helping to re-direct the city's priorities. * The mayor needs to manage employees and get the most out of the available resources. * Elected leaders need to manage our system of democracy and put the people's will as the top priorities. * Redirection should go away from big-ticket spending. The city does not have anything left in the bank to spend. Rather, the city needs to do the small things and do them well. Reform This is the third step. Third, not first. Reform is part of the formula, but it starts at the voting booth and the reform of the system needs to follow replacement of key officials.